Indonesian Rescuers Search for 140 Missing People After Ferry Goes Missing in Java Sea

Indonesian rescuers launched an urgent search on Sunday for 140 people from a passenger ship reported missing in the Java Sea. Authorities successfully evacuated 103 others, though one person tragically died, according to a search and rescue agency official.

The vessel, named Virgo Transport 8, departed on Saturday from the East Java city of Surabaya, heading toward the South Kalimantan city of Banjarmasin before losing all contact, the agency reported.

I Putu Sudayana, head of the agency's Banjarmasin office, confirmed in a video statement that 103 individuals were rescued using various ships, with plans to transport some survivors to an East Java port.

In response to the emergency, rescue teams deployed personnel, ships, and a helicopter to the passenger vessel's last known coordinates, though the exact cause of the incident remains unstated.

As an extensive archipelago consisting of 17,000 islands, Indonesia depends heavily on ferries for regional transportation. Sea routes remain popular due to being more affordable and accessible than air travel, though inconsistent enforcement of safety standards has historically led to a high accident rate.